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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · coach · chip · ruler · present · bank · patient · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — a gift
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — there
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com